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 AMTRAK Road Trip 2010
January 22 - 24, 2010
How about something different than a brew on Friday after another week in the cubicle? Leave with us a few hours early on Friday and do not think about anything else besides cars until Monday morning. The AMTRAK Road Trip 2010 is the alternative to TGIF boredom. The AMTRAK Road Trips are intended to be a brief respite from the everyday world, starting with a few hours off from work on Friday until the next Monday morning. Weather is never a problem because transportation is left to the engineer’s very competent management. This is your chance to travel and party with virtually no consequences and without responsibility: you can return to your teenage years and party on the train, in the hotel and back again. All while being informed of the greatest and latest at the North American International Auto Show, aka Detroit Auto Show.
The hotel is the best there is for ambiance and is the very favorite of those who have traveled this route before: the Best Western/Greenfield Inn in Dearborn (actually, Allen Park), Michigan. It is a full service hotel (hot cookies when you check in) with a pool, bar and restaurant. The trip is worth the automobile-related artwork on the walls of all the corridors of all three floors. Charles Lindbergh stayed here when he worked with the Ford Motor Company during WWII. The group rate for this fantastic hotel is $89 per night plus taxes. Expect the taxi ride to Cobo Hall to cost about $13 each way. Bring a cell phone to keep in touch in case the taxi driver does not know the area on the way back.
The Wolverine still runs to the Detroit area in spite of all the talk about Amtrak service:
22 Jan 2010 No. 354 Wolverine LV CHI 6:00 P.M Ar DER 11:59 P.M
24 Jan 2010 No. 353 Wolverine LV DER 11:50 A.M Ar CHI 4:16 P.M.
The price is $82.00 per person round trip. Yes, the fare has gone up 60 percent, but smart shoppers will check potato crisp wrappers, Vegemite labels, Foster’s beer cans and similar places for special deals.
As usual, expect to meet on 22 January behind the bar in Union Station for a drink and a snack before boarding the train for more drinks and snacks. The hotel will not be running the shuttle as late as the arrival time, so figure on $5 for a cab ride to the hotel. The hotel restaurant and lounge will be closed by the time we get there Friday night. The train may be on time, but a two hour delay is not uncommon; the heating usually works, but bring a blanket or coat to stay comfortable on the train just in case. Warming potions may help, too. The hotel shuttle will take us back to the train station on Sunday.
Make your hotel reservation using the code “Chicagoland MG Club” at 800-342-5802
Make reservations by 05 January 2010.
Make your train reservations at Amtrak.com or phone (800) 525-2550.
Questions? Ann or Jake Snyder at
snyder@chicagolandmgclub.com or 847-295-2753.
-- Jake and Ann Snyder
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14th Annual All British Car Swap Meet & Autojumble
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The 14th Annual All British Car Swap Meet & Autojumble will be held on Sunday February 28, 2010 at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL from 8 AM to 3 PM.
As in the past, we are again expecting approximately 100 vendor booths to be occupied when the doors open to some 800 – 900 shoppers. Since it’s beginning, this event has proven popular with British car enthusiasts from throughout the Midwest. Buyers and sellers alike travel in from a multi-state area in search of parts, services, regalia and memorabilia items.
Gate admission is $5 with free parking; Chicagoland MG Club members who volunteer to help produce the event are given free admission. A sign up sheet will be available at the January and February club meetings, or call Jim Evans at 630-858-8192. Vendor space is available through preregistration.
 The 2010 Driving Events Program
As you may have noticed from your new President's Steering Column, I will be helping the club next year as the Driving Events Coordinator. In the past few years, Seth Jones put together the annual calendar and also ran the club championships for the Moss Motors and Victoria British Cups. Seth has also written the official Rules document that explains how our events are conducted and how the club championships are organized. I would like you all to join me in thanking Seth for his contributions to our driving program.
In 2010 I would like to focus on increasing participation, specifically for the shorter one-day tours or rallies. Over the years we have developed a very good program of 2-3 day weekend tours with Dan and Nancy Herman's Joe Daviess Tour and John and Ann Schroeder's Wine, Cheese and Beer Tour. But the rallies, and lately the one-day tours, have not seen the followers that we once had. This may have many reasons and we'll try to uncover that and offer a summer season with a variety of events, including a few car shows and a picnic.
Stay tuned for more news in the next issue. At one of the recent meetings we spoke about the Driving Events Planning Meeting that we have every year. I’d like to suggest that we have that on-hold until we have a more firm idea of how the driving season should look like. The reason is that we have to come towards a good balance of tours, rallies, weekend trips, while spreading the dates evenly throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall Months. Also, we will try one more time to secure a site for an Autocross, and we have to make sure that we don't conflict with the conventions of our National organizations. And lastly, it will be my goal to have a couple of driving events together with our colleagues from the Vintage MG Club of Chicago. I am one of the MG drivers who belongs to both clubs and I like nothing more than a great variety of MG's at our events.
Please give me a call at 847-342-9804 or drop me a line at reinoutvogt@gmail.com if you have suggestions or ideas. I would love to hear from you.
See you on the road, -- Reinout Vogt
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January 2010
